A TENACIOUS female police officer, manning the Port Shepstone charge office, led the rescue of two human traffic victims and the arrest of two traffickers, now convicted by the Port Shepstone Regional Court.
Warrant Officer Vashni Samuel, swiftly followed up information leading to the rescue of a 29-year-old wife and mother of four and a 27-year-old single mother of four.
They were lured from Cape Town on promises of employment at a Margate hotel as cleaners and waitresses, and thereafter forced into prostitution by co-accused Veeran Palan and Edwina Norris, in July 2013.
Palan and Norris, convicted on eight charges, are awaiting sentence on 17 July.
The Human Trafficking Pornography and Brothels Task Team (HPPB) and Freedom Generation SA, Richards Bay, praised Senior State Advocate Val Dafel and Detective W/O Allan Horn for the successful conviction.
The Zululand Observer is media partner of both organisations.
Recruitment at ‘hotel’
The victims were recruited and supplied with bus tickets by Norris, whom they both knew.
However, on arrival at an Oslo Beach house, Palan disclosed they would be working as sex workers.
They were forced to wear certain clothes and underwear, lined up as prostitutes and rented out to a stag party.
Palan said they owed him for the tickets, food, advertising their bodies on the internet and accommodation.
They later secretly contacted family members.
W/O Samuel, who received the complaint, asked for photos of the women and they were rescued half-an-hour later at a local pub.
Samuel detained Palan on charges of kidnapping, after encountering resistance from her superior in detaining him on charges of human trafficking.
Warrant Officer Abby Dyanand of Hawks, says police often refuse to investigate such matters.
‘They incorrectly believe there are no laws to arrest suspects and investigate, or that the complainant is a prostitute who did not get paid.
‘Complainants are scantily dressed and appear irritated or uncooperative, owing to severe trauma, but their appearance and demeanour are misinterpreted.’
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